henryf
Well-Known Member
First of all congratulations on a lovely looking boat.
The key here is understanding exactly who sold the boat. Initially you described it as a demonstrator. With 5 years and 250 hours under its keel I struggle to see how this could be considered a demonstrator. It is a second hand boat.
Demonstrators will generally be sold directly by the dealer and come with a warranty.
Before we get to drawn into who owned the boat and whether it was used privately or as part of their boat selling business how does the selling broker affect things? Possibly a question for JFM? Is it like a dealer putting a car through an auction, the auction rules over-ride any dealer obligations. You buy as per auction rules. Is it the same when a boat is sold by a broker, the onus is on you to carry out all your checks because there is no coverage under SOG rules?
How many hours has the boat done now?
From the outside it looks like several different people have looked at the issue with no one taking charge and doing diagnostic work. I don't just mean plugging in a machine I mean taking measurements, changing components and so on. Each person will blame someone else. As it stands now I'm not convinced you need new injectors, fuel pump and so on. Yes, the fault codes point to those items but I have a feeling there is another root cause. Were I a gambling man I would be thinking fuel starvation. Possibly something as simple as a blocked or non existent tank vent although there was a lot of work carried out to cure suspected contaminated fuel. Could this work have been flawed? Don't assume that the tanks are now clean and the fuel is good.
It could well be a fault stemming from construction errors but if the boat was sold as a second hand 5 year old vessel then I suspect you have inherited the problem. Is the builder still trading? Is it worth contacting them for help? Not with an emotive rant but a calm request. If they have done something wrong they might want to help. They may have another explanation, but we are playing a guessing game here because we still don't know all the facts. So many different people have been involved each doing their isolated bit.
If it was me I would engage the services of a knowledgable marine mechanic, ideally someone who is a John Deere agent. At the very least someone who has full access to all the data for the engine and test equipment to check actual performance of individual elements. Fuel flow, pressures and so on. It might be that tests have to be carried out under full load conditions. You may find someone suitable on this forum.
Once the problem is diagnosed then think about going back to people who have worked on the boat during the purchase. If they made mistakes try to get their costs refunded or some form of compensation if appropriate.
You are caught right in the middle of this and may not be able to see light at the end of the tunnel. Looking from the outside I suspect the root cause of your problems will actually be quite a simple fix when identified. It doesn't sound like an engine out problem.
You were given some excellent advice earlier on that if the boat was €8-10,000 more expensive you would still have bought it. It's a hell of good looking vessel with what looks to be a lovely fit out. Once cured I'm sure you will have many miles of enjoyment.
Henry
The key here is understanding exactly who sold the boat. Initially you described it as a demonstrator. With 5 years and 250 hours under its keel I struggle to see how this could be considered a demonstrator. It is a second hand boat.
Demonstrators will generally be sold directly by the dealer and come with a warranty.
Before we get to drawn into who owned the boat and whether it was used privately or as part of their boat selling business how does the selling broker affect things? Possibly a question for JFM? Is it like a dealer putting a car through an auction, the auction rules over-ride any dealer obligations. You buy as per auction rules. Is it the same when a boat is sold by a broker, the onus is on you to carry out all your checks because there is no coverage under SOG rules?
How many hours has the boat done now?
From the outside it looks like several different people have looked at the issue with no one taking charge and doing diagnostic work. I don't just mean plugging in a machine I mean taking measurements, changing components and so on. Each person will blame someone else. As it stands now I'm not convinced you need new injectors, fuel pump and so on. Yes, the fault codes point to those items but I have a feeling there is another root cause. Were I a gambling man I would be thinking fuel starvation. Possibly something as simple as a blocked or non existent tank vent although there was a lot of work carried out to cure suspected contaminated fuel. Could this work have been flawed? Don't assume that the tanks are now clean and the fuel is good.
It could well be a fault stemming from construction errors but if the boat was sold as a second hand 5 year old vessel then I suspect you have inherited the problem. Is the builder still trading? Is it worth contacting them for help? Not with an emotive rant but a calm request. If they have done something wrong they might want to help. They may have another explanation, but we are playing a guessing game here because we still don't know all the facts. So many different people have been involved each doing their isolated bit.
If it was me I would engage the services of a knowledgable marine mechanic, ideally someone who is a John Deere agent. At the very least someone who has full access to all the data for the engine and test equipment to check actual performance of individual elements. Fuel flow, pressures and so on. It might be that tests have to be carried out under full load conditions. You may find someone suitable on this forum.
Once the problem is diagnosed then think about going back to people who have worked on the boat during the purchase. If they made mistakes try to get their costs refunded or some form of compensation if appropriate.
You are caught right in the middle of this and may not be able to see light at the end of the tunnel. Looking from the outside I suspect the root cause of your problems will actually be quite a simple fix when identified. It doesn't sound like an engine out problem.
You were given some excellent advice earlier on that if the boat was €8-10,000 more expensive you would still have bought it. It's a hell of good looking vessel with what looks to be a lovely fit out. Once cured I'm sure you will have many miles of enjoyment.
Henry
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